Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

षण्मुखेन महादेवि तत्र कृत्वा महत्तपः । प्रतिष्ठितं महालिंगं कुमारेशस्ततोऽभवत्

Transliteration

ṣaṇmukhena mahādevi tatra kṛtvā mahattapaḥ | pratiṣṭhitaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ kumāreśastato'bhavat

Translation

హే మహాదేవీ! అక్కడ షణ్ముఖుడు మహత్తపస్సు ఆచరించి, మహాలింగాన్ని ప్రతిష్ఠించాడు; అందువల్ల అది ‘కుమారేశ్వర’మని ప్రసిద్ధి పొందింది.

Word by Word

• षण्मुखेन: by Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced Skanda)
• षण्मुखेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instr/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् तपः-विशेषण

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya/Visheshana (State/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (लिङ्गम्-विशेषण)

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma/Pratipadyam (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुमारेशः: Kumāreśa
• कुमारेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) performing intense tapas in the coastal sacred landscape of Prabhāsa; a radiant mahā-liṅga being established, with Devī addressed as witness; the air charged with consecratory light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Kumāreśvara
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas culminates in consecration and sacred presence; the holiness of a place is grounded in exemplary ascetic effort and divine establishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumāreśvara Liṅga at Prabhāsa-kṣetra, established through the tapas of Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse describes Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishment/consecration) as the founding act; it implies worship at the established Liṅga for merit.